An 'Only in Amherst' Movement

No blood for oil. And if only Americans stopped mowing their lawns how much oil could we save? Then there would be no need to go to war with Iran.

I remember the night of 11/1/06 asking Amherst Town Meeting to consider what they would do if Iran had a missile warming up on a silo that contained nuclear or biological materials aimed at the heart of Israel?

They overwhelmingly passed the nonaggression, appeasement article anyway. You would think an overly educated community like Amherst would not have to be reminded that those who fail to learn from history (giving Hitler the Sudenland) are doomed to repeat it.


EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN
INTERESTS SECTION OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
2209 Wisconsin Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007

Tel: (202) 965-4990 Fax (202) 965-1073 www.daftar.org

In the Name of the Almighty

December 7, 2006

Ms. Sandra J. Burgess
Amherst Town Clerk
4 Boltwood Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002

Dear Ms. Burgess:

We would like to express our appreciation for the courageous stance of the participants of the Amherst Town Meeting in urging diplomacy with Iran and expressing opposition to any U.S. military action against our country. Your letter along with the attachments was submitted to the office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Upon receipt of any response, this office will notify you accordingly. The staff of this office would be more than happy to respond to any questions you might have.

Sincerely,

A. Mohzabadi
for Mostafa Rahmani

Yeah, gotta love that December 7'th date of dictation and the "In the name of the Almighty" heading. Kind of like the last recorded words from the cockpit of United Flight 93.

By train, bus, or helicopter. Just go!

Okay, so it is now close of business (5:10 PM) Tuesday and still the Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (masslandrecords.com) clearly shows that Amherst officials Selectman Anne Awad and her husband Town Meeting member Robie Hubley have not “removed the Homestead declaration” on their new South Hadley home or retaken one out on their (up for sale) Amherst condo as stated in a Letter to the Editor last week.

And the Registry of Deeds also does not show a new mortgage on the South Hadley home minus that pesky Occupancy clause (saying they have to make it their primary residence by June 10).

I remember as an impressionable 17-year-old, just coming of age with politics, being stunned and amazed our President—the leader of the Free World—could lie to the American people.

And here we are, 35 years later…

Antiquated Amherst Town Meeting: No escape

So on Thursday we celebrated our 25’Th Wedding anniversary with an overnight at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, the second home to Norman Rockwell. And although he painted the famous “Freedom of Speech”—now an icon to Town Meeting supporters while living in Arlington, Vermont the Red Lion Inn proudly displayed it in our suite.

The rustic Inn’s clientele (not to mention the artwork in our bedroom) reminded me of Amherst Town Meeting: rich, retired and overwhelmingly white. About the only diversity I heard was the occasional mid-town Manhattan Jewish accent.

Memorial Day in Amherst

For the first time in twenty-five years I could actually attend the Amherst Memorial Day parade. My wife and I have an agreement to attend Memorial Day celebration in Southwick, her hometown, but she has a family reunion this Wednesday so she decided not to make the drive today.

The weather was perfect. Naturally the town forgets to put the main flag at half-staff so July 4’Th Parade Committee Chair Kevin Joy did the honors.

An F-15 streaked overhead to get things started


The turnout was great, numbering in the hundreds spread out along the less than a mile route. And no, not a single protester to be found—even on that corner in Town center they have occupied every Sunday for the past thirty-five years.

Blog Guru Tommy Devine chasing down a shot or two (photo that is)


And even former Amherst Democratic Town Committee Chair Harry Brooks who spearheaded the attack on the July 4’th Parade Committee two years ago for not allowing anti-war signs marched peacefully in the lead group without carrying a sign of any kind.

I don't think so

Okay, I’m sorry—most readers of this blog probably consider me “conservative,” although in Amherst that could mean almost anything.

And I’m ever so far from being a Clinton fan—either Hillary or (that lying cheat) Bill.

But this recent hoopla about Mrs. Clinton invoking a personal hero of mine—Bobby Kennedy—and the trumped up ramifications are nothing short of astounding. So does anybody in their right mind actually think that Hillary was saying Obama could get shot dead over the next month, and therefore you need a number two like me still on the campaign trail to take over?

YIKES!

Yeah, that's what I'm talkin about

Maybe it’s a matter of maturity—Hadley being the Motherland celebrating 350 years of existence as opposed to only 250 for the People’s Republic of Amherst, once a part of Hadley.

But on this glorious day--in the Heartland of Hadley--with a Parade celebrating/ commemorating the ultimate sacrifice of so many Americans over these past 232 years, and not a single protester in site.

South Hadley Town Center

2:15 PM. Yep, that looks like Ms. Awad to me. Would you spend Memorial Day weekend Saturday afternoon landscaping property that you don't intend to make your home?